What a difference a week makes in the NFL.

If the Packers can beat a Bears team that gets to field 12 to 13 guys including the refs, they can go a long way.

Stay healthy and beat Denver. Broncos are due a letdown at home.

NFC East: The way the Eagles are playing now, there's a slim chance the Cowboys could win the division; wouldn't it be fun to play them again, especially at home?

Hafley: There will obviously be some HC openings, but how attractive is the Washington job? There will be some expectations with a QB like Daniels, but the defense is a bit of a geriatric ward and some rebuilding will be needed; No second or fourth round draft pick at this point.

Another team possibly due for a letdown is Denver, a team with a very good defense (they lead the league in sacks by a wide margin), but have barely squeaked by with a win on a few occasions. They deserve credit for "finding a way", but they're probably not as good as their record indicates. Still, it will be a challenge to win there as we've only done it once in the entire series history.

I know I am looking ahead to next year but it is likely Hafley will be somewhere else next year. He's a young, competitive man in his mid-40's. If he's not gone next year, it will be the following year.
Andy Herman said something interesting and troubling to me; "if Hafley leaves, they will likely do the 'Packer's thing' which is to promote from within". (Hafley will take his most successful position coaches as well.) I am concerned that GB won't put in the effort to locate the best Defensive Coordinator possible while they are on top. An average to mildly above average DC could hamper the Packers substantially.
This is the season when good coaches are being quietly evaluated by teams. I also don't think MLF is going anywhere after this run so promoting Hafley to HC seems unlikely) I hope GB is thinking strategically.

Hafley signed a 3 year deal with us, and has one more year remaining. This is another reason that the "window" we're in right now could last another season, but nothing's certain beyond that.

This notion that after two years as a DC he's a qualified replacement for one of the winningest coaches of all time is not a well-conceived plan. We should be trying to lock up LaFleur; the only missing part of a HOF resume right now is a Super Bowl. Winning %, games over .500, total wins....all among the best of all time AND among active coaches. We'd be fools to run him off.

We are SO close to the top, why the urge to dismantle and rebuild? Keep Gutekunst and LaFleur running the show for a while.

I disagree with the author - if Hafley takes a head coaching job after this season I wouldn't mind Dan Quinn as the Packer DC. He was a terrific DC for Dallas and has been a good DC for a long time in this league. He has been a head coach twice with not much success but that doesn't disqualify him from being a good defensive coordinator. Lafleur could do worse (think Barry, Mennenga, Drayton......).

Many of us Including me have lambasted MLF for hiring Joe Barry as DC but I have to give MLF a big shout out for going out and bringing Jeff Hafley In as DC. And I gotta think Hafley will be a NFL Head Coach next year!

If the Packers win out in the regular season, LaFleur will be COTY candidate and Love will be in MVP discussions.

If the Offense stumbles in the last month while Defense plays winning football, Ed's coaching policy will create a more a more complicated decision. Will the Packers be better with Hafley or LaFleur as HC?

And if he promotes Gutey to an actual GM before then, even more intrigue in the evaluation.

But the way the Offense is coming alive now, I doubt LaFleur is going anywhere.

Hafley likely is. And he will be missed. Players respond to him. How he flipped the switch on swarming to the ball and eliminate the missed tackles has been remarkable. He did it by assertive coaching with constant emphasis and selling the vision.

Packers need to be prepared for the eventuality of Hafley leaving and not be caught off-guard by not vetting possible DC replacements, NOW. Unfortunately, Hafley has been an outlier and my concern is MLF will return to his default-- 'promote from within' mediocre types.

MLF is remaining-he has won too many games to get replaced.

If they promote from within, there are no brilliant up-and-comers I've heard or read about. Hafley willl take the best and leave the rest. So, that leaves the 'mediocres' which are plentiful in GB.

"we almost let them off the hook!"

While obviously this is a pro-packers site, this is a bit unhinged even by that standard.

That was a close game, Green Bay Cowboys (GBC) fans are grasping at straws by blaming the refs for a close game, that was AT Lambeau. The truth is that the GBC talent should have prevailed, and while it did it was closer than it should have been.

The only thing the Vikqueens did was play themselves out of a top ten pick in the draft next spring and put enough on tape to remove any "element of surprise" in them that their upcoming opponents won't get caught in complacency against them. And they reignited some belief in JJ McCarthy.

While no one in the NFL "tanks," or at least admits to it, a bunch of wins now for Minnesota will have not much more value than preseason games. They're done for any playoffs. But with close out home games against the Lions and Packers they could relish the spoiler role against either or both of them.

Exactly—Colin Cowerd and a few other so-called experts are hailing the Bears as the real winners.
The officiating was obnoxious and “made” this game close. Is officiating easy—no! Were these easy calls to correctly make—Yes!!
The officials (throughout the year), appear to be purposely ignoring blatant holding against Parsons.
I’m probably the one person in America who is for fewer officials—they hoculi crew over-officiates every game—putrid to watch.
Great arrticle Jersey—it needed to be said—gracias!!
Next Sunday we’ll watch the Walton-Penner officiating crew and numerous camera shot of their private box. Screw the Broncos-hate that team.
Go Packers!!!